Psychology AO1 AO3 Essay Plan (eval)
Agency Theory, Milgram 1. Social hierarchy and autonomous state
Agency theory refers to the change in mindset and obedience 2. Agentic shift and agentic state
levels when in the presence of an authority figure. Humans live Milgram 1963 evaluation
in a hierarchy in order for society to run successfully, so 100% of participants administered a shock of 300V to a
subordinate individuals have to obey their superiors’ orders. confederate in the word learning task under the guidance of an
authority figure in a lab coat. 65% went to 450V, beyond extreme
Milgram's agency theory suggests that the autonomous state, shock label.
we are not under the control of an authority figure, we feel
responsible for our own behaviour and actions. Therefore the Milgram believed that the participants were very obedient. Haslam
individual in the autonomous state is more likely to use their showed that participants only continued after the first 3 prods. All
morals and beliefs to guide their behaviour in right and wrong. participants who were given the 4th prod ‘you have no other
choice, you must go on’ disobeyed. This challenges the conclusion
However, the agentic shift occurs when the individual is in the that people were highly obedient to authority and they would
presence of an authority figure. When we meet another blindly obey.
individual, we quickly judge whether they are higher or lower
on the social hierarchy and their legitimacy as a superior. In the However, Gina Perry suggests that the internal validity of the
agentic state, the individual believes they are acting on behalf of experiment is flawed because of demand characteristics. New
the superior, therefore they may follow orders simply because evidence from the Yale archives suggests that many participants
they believe that they have no choice. In this state, they are less saw through the deception and questioned the reality of the
likely to take responsibility for their own actions. shocks, evidencing that over 60% disobeyed the experimenter.
Moral strain is experienced by the agents when they are ordered Application to military
to act against their morals by the superior. The conflict Binding factors can ensure that the subordinate is less likely to
between their morals and the superior’s command creates undergo moral strain and disobey. In the military, the superior
dissonance and can cause hyperventilation and symptoms of officers may use euphemisms such as collateral damage or targets;
anxiety. This moral strain is often not enough to override the these phrases of dehumanising language to refer to the enemy can
authority’s orders. reduce the effects of agentic shift, thereby reducing
insubordination.
Rank and Jacobson` 1977, 16 out of 18 nurses did not obey orders
from a doctor that asked them to administer an overdose of the
drug Valium.
https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/explanations-for-o
bedience-variations-of-milgram-1963 (extra information for
milgram)
Social impact theory, Latane 1. Social impact, the equation and the SIN meanings
Latane 1981 developed a theory that quantifies the effect of a The New York Zoo study by Sedikides and Jackson 1990. This was
person on other people’s behaviour, this refers to the term a field experiment where the confederate asked the visitors not to
social impact. The person doing the influencing is the source lean on the railing. Strength was adjusted with the zoo keeper’s
and the people being influenced are the targets. He came up uniform (58% Obedience) compared to T shirt and shorts (35%).
with this formula - Social impact = f(SIN) strength x Immediacy was adjusted within the same room, 61%, and in the
immediacy x number adjacent room, 7%. The divisional effect was also tested, obedience
was greater in smaller groups (60%) compared to larger groups
Agency Theory, Milgram 1. Social hierarchy and autonomous state
Agency theory refers to the change in mindset and obedience 2. Agentic shift and agentic state
levels when in the presence of an authority figure. Humans live Milgram 1963 evaluation
in a hierarchy in order for society to run successfully, so 100% of participants administered a shock of 300V to a
subordinate individuals have to obey their superiors’ orders. confederate in the word learning task under the guidance of an
authority figure in a lab coat. 65% went to 450V, beyond extreme
Milgram's agency theory suggests that the autonomous state, shock label.
we are not under the control of an authority figure, we feel
responsible for our own behaviour and actions. Therefore the Milgram believed that the participants were very obedient. Haslam
individual in the autonomous state is more likely to use their showed that participants only continued after the first 3 prods. All
morals and beliefs to guide their behaviour in right and wrong. participants who were given the 4th prod ‘you have no other
choice, you must go on’ disobeyed. This challenges the conclusion
However, the agentic shift occurs when the individual is in the that people were highly obedient to authority and they would
presence of an authority figure. When we meet another blindly obey.
individual, we quickly judge whether they are higher or lower
on the social hierarchy and their legitimacy as a superior. In the However, Gina Perry suggests that the internal validity of the
agentic state, the individual believes they are acting on behalf of experiment is flawed because of demand characteristics. New
the superior, therefore they may follow orders simply because evidence from the Yale archives suggests that many participants
they believe that they have no choice. In this state, they are less saw through the deception and questioned the reality of the
likely to take responsibility for their own actions. shocks, evidencing that over 60% disobeyed the experimenter.
Moral strain is experienced by the agents when they are ordered Application to military
to act against their morals by the superior. The conflict Binding factors can ensure that the subordinate is less likely to
between their morals and the superior’s command creates undergo moral strain and disobey. In the military, the superior
dissonance and can cause hyperventilation and symptoms of officers may use euphemisms such as collateral damage or targets;
anxiety. This moral strain is often not enough to override the these phrases of dehumanising language to refer to the enemy can
authority’s orders. reduce the effects of agentic shift, thereby reducing
insubordination.
Rank and Jacobson` 1977, 16 out of 18 nurses did not obey orders
from a doctor that asked them to administer an overdose of the
drug Valium.
https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/explanations-for-o
bedience-variations-of-milgram-1963 (extra information for
milgram)
Social impact theory, Latane 1. Social impact, the equation and the SIN meanings
Latane 1981 developed a theory that quantifies the effect of a The New York Zoo study by Sedikides and Jackson 1990. This was
person on other people’s behaviour, this refers to the term a field experiment where the confederate asked the visitors not to
social impact. The person doing the influencing is the source lean on the railing. Strength was adjusted with the zoo keeper’s
and the people being influenced are the targets. He came up uniform (58% Obedience) compared to T shirt and shorts (35%).
with this formula - Social impact = f(SIN) strength x Immediacy was adjusted within the same room, 61%, and in the
immediacy x number adjacent room, 7%. The divisional effect was also tested, obedience
was greater in smaller groups (60%) compared to larger groups
